Wood covering or facing.



No. 848,690. l PATENTED APR. 2, 1907. H. ROMUNDER.

WOOD COVBRING 0B. FAGING. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27.1904.

HERMANN RoMNDER, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

wooo coi/Esme. on FAGING.

Specification of' Letters Patent. Appiimion filed May 27,1904. semi No.210,126.

Patented April 2, 1907.

To afl/f whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, HERMANN ROMNDER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident.

of'Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, have invented new'and useful Improvements in Wood Coverings or Facings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel construction of'sheets or plates ofmaterial for various purposes, and more particularly to the constructionof facings, s uch as rims for vessels and railings of various kinds.

The objects of my invention are twofoldnamely, first, to provide by anovel manner of assembling certain elements a new material for theconstruction of the aforenamed articles which shall be not only of astrong and durable character,but also impervious to moistureandatmospheric influences, and on the other hand to provide a structurecomposed of a wood base which shall combine minimum weight and bulk witha maximum of strength and durability. By the accomplishment of theseobjects I aim to avoid difculties inherent in the use of ordinary woodfor such structures as heretofore practiced, the same bein 'subject tosuchl defects as checking, splitting, warping, shrinking, swelling, andgenerally disintegrating.

To attain these objects, my invention` involves two main features-towit, first, the combination of thin wooden or fibrous veneers or platesplaced in juxtaposition with crossed or reversed grains with a speciesof, waterproofing compound which serves both as an adhesive and aprotection againstabsorption of moisture. The manner in which these arecombined will be hereinafter described. The other feature by which Iattain my objects resides inthe form into which I press the material soproduced to produce a maximum of strength and durability.

My invention maybestbe understoodfrom a consideration of'the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Fi ure 1 is a seat uilt accordlng to my invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse section thereof on the line w. Fig. 3 is a plan view of abath-tub rim according to my invention. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionthrou h one side of either of the forms shown 1n Figs. 1 and 3 on theline and on an enlargedscale.

In these drawings every reference-letter refers always to the same part.

. and rigidity. lan view of a water-closet l The structure of thematerial from which my Invention is built is best shown in Fig. 4.

In order to form this material, several sheets of fibrous material,generally wood veneer a b c, are taken and combined with a waterproofcementing composition in such mannerv that the composition thoroughlyimpregnates to expand, combined with the pressure whichl acts to squeezeit away from the surfaces between the layers of veneer, said cement isthus` forced to enter `the pores or interstices of the wood, com letelyfillingthe'same. At the same time tiewood bein thus moistened and.rendered pliable it 1s caused by suitable dies or other means to assumevarious shapes in accordance with the articles which are to be made fromit. Several of these articles are shown in the drawings. In Fic'. 1,forexample, the seat Ais given a doubIe curvature around the rim or annularportion thereof, the edges being bent downwardly,

so that it is convex upon its upper surface and concave on its lowersurface, the back d, however, being left flat for the attachment ofhinges. It will be understood that to cause the wood to assume suchshape some fibers others compressed and forced together, whereby theoriginal surface of single curvature becomes a surface of doublecurvature, which being non-developable upon a plane, as is wellunderstood, is one of Great strength In articular it 1s to be notedthatgthe surface o double curvature given to the seat Ain Fig. fr and tothe rim B in Fig. 3 is that known geometrically as a torussurface-towit, one generated bya curved line moving in a curved directiontransverse to its own plane-and such surface, as is well understood, isof particularly eat rigidity and enables me to accomplisIir my object ofcombin-inor a maximum of firmness and 'are necessarily stretched orextendedland IIO strength witli a minimum of weight. In a j fous, andindivisible structure,

similarmanner the princi les of my invention may be applied to all)manner of Wood trimmings, facings, coverings, and other objects intowhich the material While in the moist and pliable condition is capableof being bent by the combination of heat and pressure.

After being molded or formed to the proper shape, the heat and pressurebeing removed, the finished article is allowed to dry and thereafterbecomes unchangeable except by actual breakage, being no longer subjectto atmospheric influences, because the thorough impregnation of the Woodby the cement makes it a substantially integral, homogene- Thewaterproof cementing composition binds the Whole together, whilerepelling any moisture Thus it cannot Warp `or split, to which actioncomound veneers generally as'heretofore made llave always been subject.The cement serves not only to hold one veneer to another', but also tohold the fibers of each veneer to each other, thus acting as a cohesiveas Well as an adhesive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is+ l 1. A rim for basins and the likecomprising a plurality of annular plates of veneer united by cement, andcaused by heat and pressure to assume a surface convex on the upper sideby the downpressing of the edges thereof.

2. A rim for basins and the like comprising a plurality of annularfibrous plates united by a Waterproof cement, and caused by heat andpressure to assume a convex upper surface and to become impregnatedthroughout Withsaid Waterproof cement.v y 3. An improved closet-seatcomprising a plurality of annular fibrous plates united by cement, theedges whereof are pressed downwardly under heat and pressure whereby thewhole assumes a convex upper surface.

4. An improved closet-seat comprising a plurality of annular fibrousplates united by a Waterproof cement which is caused to thoroughlyimpregnate said plates from the inner faces thereof by heat and pressurewhereby it is rendered impregnable to moisture from he outside, and bentto a convex upper surace.

5. A rim for basins and the like com rising three annular plates of Woodveneer raving their grains crossed, the 'Whole combined, united andthoroughly impregnated with a Waterproof cementing compound whereby theyareV rendered impregnable to moisture from the outer surface, andtheWholey caused by heat and pressure to assume a convex upper' surface. j

Signed at the city and county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, this423d day of May, 1904.

` HERMANN RGMUNDER. Witnesses:

CARL S. FIDLER, PAULA RosEMARir.

